Learning & Maladaptive Behavior Lecture 16

Maladaptive Behavior Detrimental to well-being/survival How is it acquired? Normal learning mechanisms Operant (Instrumental) conditioning overt behaviors Pavlovian conditioning CERs physiological responses covert behaviors ~

Maladaptive Learning: Pavlovian Conditioned Emotional Responses fear/anxiety anticipatory pain Phobias Depression Panic Disorder With agoraphobia Post-traumatic stress-disorder ~

Conditioned Emotional Responses Acquired Motivation Motivates maladaptive behaviors covert behavior: Fear & Anxiety Pavlovian Self-medication Addictive behaviors Mood modification Via behavior or substance use acquisition by operant ~

Maladaptive Learning: Instrumental Eating Disorders Anorexia nervosa; Bulimia Obesity Substance abuse & addiction Abusive relationships Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Learned Helplessness Related to depression ~

Maladaptive Eating Behaviors Higher incidence of depression & anxiety OCD & substance abuse women: relationship problems Maintained via reinforcement self-medication Obesity positive & negative reinforcement health problems ~ pg 281-282 “From Behavior Theory to Behavior Therapy” Plaud & Eifert

Eating Disorders Anorexia nervosa little or no eating Bulimia binge & purge Motivation? Negative body image  anxiety lack of control Control eating  RFT ~ pg 281-282 “From Behavior Theory to Behavior Therapy” Plaud & Eifert

Substance Abuse & Addiction Abused/Addictive drugs Positive reinforcers Negative reinforcers Aversive aftereffects Normal reinforcement mechanisms Same as natural reinforcers Strengthens drug-taking behavior Addiction: compulsive use ~

Abusive Relationships Why do women stay with men who physically abuse them? Pain as punishment Honeymoon phase as Pos RFT Initially later following abuse History of punishing behavior early weak  later severe habituation ~

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Obsessions Persistent, intrusive thoughts Produce anxiety Compulsions Repetitive behaviors Reduce anxiety Acquired & maintained by… Negative reinforcement ~

Learned Helplessness Animal model of depression No contingency b/n behavior & aversive outcomes Saversive : B  no effect Global expectancy develops ineffectiveness of behavior Failure to respond even when it may be successful ~

Experimental procedure Master rat Yoked rat Master response can terminate shock Yoked shocked w/ master no control over shock ~

Give all avoidance training Transfer all to shuttlebox training Standard escape / avoidance task Will they learn to escape? Master? Yoked? ~

Master vs Yoked Difference in escape learning, but Both shocked Same number Same intensity Same duration How do they differ? Control of shock ~

Conclusions Yoked rat develops expectation no response will terminate shock generalizes to other situations Global expectancy of ineffectiveness ~ Uncontrollable Aversive Events Learned Helplessness

Stress-induced Analgesia Decrease in pain sensitivity Occurs in rats in uncontrollable circumstances Use same rats from learned helplessness Test for analgesia Tail Flick Test ~

Results Master  no analgesia stress is controllable Yoked rat  analgesic stress is uncontrollable Less sensitive to pain May stay in contact with painful stimulus longer Injury more likely ~

Kids & Math Problems Dweck & Rapucci (1973) 5th graders given series of math problems Give easy problems performance good Give unsolvable problems Give easy again difficulty doing easy problems ~

Adjunctive Behavior Excessive behavior Byproduct of intermittent RFT of another behavior moderate FI schedules Distractive behaviors: excessive… TV viewing, talking, hobbies, etc Deleterious behaviors Aggression, substance abuse, OCD, eating, hyperactivity, etc. ~

Adjunctive Behavior: Polydypsia Falk (1961) Food-deprived rats Bar press, FI1 min for food RFT Water available, no deprivation Response patterns Expected FI pattern for bar press Unexpected: excessive drinking ~

Adjunctive Behavior: Polydypsia Drank up to ½ body wgt in 3 hours Not being reinforced Drinking immediately after RFT Also for Attack behavior, overeating And in several species  SR deprivation   adjunctive behavior Can act as RFT for other behaviors Premack Principle ~

Adjunctive Behavior: Conflict Between Obtaining valued RFT And abandoning situation e.g., work vs family; hi risk jobs Rate of RFT important Too rich or lean  No conflict Rich: stay and respond Lean: abandon Moderate  adjunctive behavior Conflict ~

Adjunctive Behavior: Conflict Displacement Activity Irrelevant behavior (e.g.,killing time) when confronted by conflict Or thwarted from attaining goal How could it be adaptive?  response variation Remain in situation where valued RFT might occur ~

Case Study: B.S. 24-year-old male Moderate mental retardation & BD Aggression: others, objects, self Activity Schedule toileting every hour (FI1 hr) SIB after toilet Change of schedule to VI1 hr almost completely eliminated SIB ~